In the wake of the Los Angeles Sol's collapse, Martin Rogers reports that rumors started to surface in Brazil that the brilliant Marta, a four-time World Women's Player of the Year, would seek an out from her American contract. WPS was adamant such a scenario would not take place, and that all Sol players will be allocated to other teams in the league through a special draft. The WPS holds Marta's contract and but Rogers questions whether the Brazilian would have agreed to come to America in the first place if not for the fact she could be based in Los Angeles.

Marta is the star of the league, the one player worth the price of admission merely on the back of her own talents. It will take some slick negotiation from WPS commissioner Tonya Antonucci to arrest the slide of negative publicity, keep hold of Marta and maintain credibility at an acceptable level. With Marta still around, perhaps still on the West Coast with Bay Area team FC Gold Pride, WPS could retain its claim of being the place where the world's finest female players come to perform. Read the original story...